Method for spinning artificial filaments



Dec. 5, 1950 R. w. STANLEY 2,532,465

METHOD FOR SPINNING ARTIFICIAL FILAMENTS Original Filed April 22, 1944 3Sheets-Sheet 1 WM W A T TORI KY.

Dec. 5, 1950 R. WJSTANLEY v 2,532,465

METHOD FOR SPINNING. ARTIFICIALP FILAMENTS Original Filed April 22, 1944"3 Sheets-Sheet 2 lz )5 v 24 MZWN A TIDE/Vi)- Dec. 5, 1950 R. w. sTANLEY METHOD FOR SPINNING ARTIFICIAL EILAMENTS Original Filed AprilY22p19443 Sheets-Sheet 3 Fig- 1a M] INVENTOR.

BY @444 m Patented Dec. 5, 1950 STATES PATENT OFFICE METHOD FDR SPINNING.AR EIEIGIAL LFILAMENIS EKicharfl "W. stanley, Lakewood, Gh'io,'ass-ignor to American Wiscose Corporation, Wilmington, lDeL, ;a:corporation of Delaware Original application .April .22, 1944, SerialNo.

532,328. Divided and this apfllica'tionNovemlief-3, 194$,Serial No.125,188

.5 :Glaims.

:1 pinventionrelates to :improved methods for continuously spinningartificial filaments "or threads. This application is :a division ao'fmy copending application :Serial No. 1532328., filed 222, i944, nowiRatent 1N0. 2:511615'7.

It :is :an object :of the invention to provide an improved :method iiorcontinuously spinning, manipulating, and treating artificial threads inwhich the section carrying the coagulating liquids which are generallythe most :corrosive .is so arranged with :respect to the liquidaftert-reating :section ..-in which less corrosive liquids are used thatthere is Flittleropportunity for spray from the coagulating bath and thethread handling devices associated with the [coagulating bath to :becarried over to the thread as iit v:is discharged vfrom theafteptreating liquid .section. Arranged zintermediate tthe:zcoagulatin'g bath and the after-treatment section, there .is provided:in accordance with ethe {objects of *this invention, .a

stretching zone which forms :a component part of what is hereinaftertermed :the forming :section and in which the thread may :be treatedwith any suitable lplasticizing liquid, which in the :case of viscosemay ;be hot :water or :hot dilute acid. These two distinct sections areso arranged that the discharge end of the liquid after-"treatmentsection -is at the part thereof farthest :from the forming section and:is beyond the reach of operators employed "along the :coagulating loathand conversely the storming section not .the machine is out of reach ofoperators "emp yed along the after-treatment section.

A further object is to :so arrange the sections of the process that theentire spinning or treating unit of each single --,end zthread pnoducingstation will he readily and conveniently iaccessible to .the operatorsassigned 'to the respective working races of the machine adapted tocarry cutthe process. lAiurtl-ier object is to provide :a spinningprocess having a compact liquid aftertreatment section. in which .alLofthe after-treating liquids (excluding .the stretching hath which isherein considered to constitute .a forming liquid -.as distinguishedlf-rom :an after-treating liquid) are applied I to i3 single continuoushelix of the thread. The present invention also provides z-ior dryingand/or collecting the aftertreated yarn :-in :a section provided at .adifferent floor level than that of the coagulating and after-treatingsections.

Other objects and advantages-of the invention will appear from thedescription herein-after in which reference to the @drawing will .bemade.

.Eigure 1 is an endelevation. partially .in \CI'QSS- -2 section, :of amachine adapted to carry out the process of the invention,

Figure 1a shows in "elevation an alternate way of collecting thefilaments,

Figure 2 ie a plan view,

Figure .3 'is :as'side elevation showing the coagulating hath workingface,

Figure '4 is a plan "view, partially in crosssection, showing thecoagulating loath and 'associated parts in more detail.

"IIhe spinning :machine shown for :carrying out the process ofitheinventi'onzhas the coagulating helth working face :32 itheafterstreatnient section 3, which are iboth .on "the same floor level,:and the drying and/orcollecting section on ailower floor level :ordeck. :The :forming section .comprises a deep, narrow vtrough 25:for thecoagulating :hath extending the length :of the machine and the:spinnerets 5 are arranged to spin :generally vertically zupwardly tothethread-"atlvancing :devices Tl :disposed above the rear portion ofthe hath. Asshown, thesedevices comprise two godelts. :the upper and:larger "of which is driven and the other is an .idler. Alternatively, athread-advancing reel or za'pair of driven godets of :the :same "sizearia-vibe used. A guide 8 serves to control the thread as itgproceedstothe threadadvancing device :1 and also to remove excess coagulating:liquid drom :the thread.

A;ho1lo,w framework in the form of an intermediate longitudinal pedestal9 supports a'housing 11 for the mechanism If! for :driving thethread-handling devices including the devices I and the threadeadvancingdevices -l'r2 in the liquid after-treatment :section 'of :the machine.The housing lll :is :plOVidBd with a jacket |.-3 of corrosion resistant:material, such as lead spaced from the walls :of the housing and havingopenings 1M about the shafts, both drive and idler, for the ithreadhandling zdevices :and [2. An

'inent or non-injurious gas, :such as air, preferahly :dry, is .forcedinto the :space between the jacket :and the main housing walls from asuitable duct :l-lla i(see 2:) or ducts atone or both ends-ofthezmach-ine. The hollow :pedestal constitutes a duct through which thefoul :air in the vicinity of :the coagulating 'bath is removed, suitableopenings :being provided in the pedestal all along the machine;=a:d-jacent the top of the trough 5, :and zone or twossuitable exhaustducts being provided, :such as at one or both ends of the machine, .andbeing connected :to exhaust fans. similarly a duct l6 extending thelength of the [machine is provided in the .upper region of the :hoodEli! comprising suitable asash means :I la

by which the spinning stations of the machine are readily accessible tothe operators. The duct it is provided with openings l8 (preferablyadjustable in any conventional manner) in the base thereof facing thereceptacle or receptacles IQ for the plasticizing liquid. The provisionof the upper exhaust duct l6 and that in the pedestal 9 assures that thefoul air will be drawn away from the operators while they aremanipulating the thread in lacing up the machine or tending to it at anyother time. In addition, the provision of an inert gaseous medium underelevated pressure within the jacket is about the housing for the drivingmechanism protects this mechanism from any foul, corrosive atmospherethat may hover about the coagulating section of the machine.

The driving godets of the devices I are set at an acute angle to thelongitudinal axis of the machine so that they are off-set laterally andaxially from each other in staggered relationship. The reels 12 aresimilarly staggered so that the threads proceed at an acute angle fromthe upper godets through their respective troughs E9 to their respectiveafter-treating reels l2. By this arrangement, it is possible to obtain along immersion through the stretch baths in troughs i9 without havingthe receiving ends of the reels E2 beyond the reach of operators havingaverage arm length. Preferably, the troughs H! are placed from three tofive feet from the floor level. The troughs l9 may be supplied withliquid, such as hot water or hot dilute acid, by the downwardlyextending branches 2d of the feed pipe 2% and. adjacent each end withthe slotted partitions 22 forming overflow chambers at each end of thetrough which discharge in drains 23.

The reels l2 may be provided with a surrounding deflector or guard 24for controlling the action of the liquids upon the threads andsubstantially confining the several different liquids applied to theirrespective treating zones along the helix. This deflector or guard maybe of the same construction as that shown in either of the copendingapplications of Stanley and Lowe, Serial No. 504,664, filed October 2,1943; and Serial No. 523,402, filed February 22, 1944. Headers 25 havingbranches 26 conduct the several treating liquids to correspondingtreating zones of the helix formed on the reels l2. Discharge pipes 2'!connected to the extreme limits of each treating zone lead to troughs 28which extend the length of the machine for receiving the discharge fromthe corresponding zones of all the reels l2. The discharge from each ofthese troughs may be recirculated to the appropriate header, with orwithout first subjecting it to recovery, replenishment, or purificationprocesses. The troughs 28 or any selected one or more thereof may bereplaced with headers connected to pipes 2! in which case the removal ofliquid from the respective treating zones may be assisted by suitablesuction pumps inserted in the respective headers, especially foroperating in accordance with the above-mentioned application Serial No.523,402,

An inwardly and downwardly sloping trough 29 may be disposed beneath theseveral troughs 28 and preferably extends to a point beyond thedischarge ends of the reels l2. A trough 3i! sloping toward one end, orfrom the middle toward both ends, of the machine serves to discharge anydrainings from the trough 29. I

The reels I 2 are preferably removably supported at both ends, beingcoupled for driving at their inner ends and rotatably to a series ofposts 3| which are capable of being swung outwardly on their pivots 32for removing the reels and of being locked in reel-supporting positionby the latches 33. Reels B2 are'preferably driven at higher peripheralspeed than the devices 1 so that a predetermined amount of stretchingoccurs as the threads pass through the troughs IS.

The threads proceed substantially vertically downwardly from thedischarge ends of the reels I! either to centrifugal collecting buckets34 through the traversing funnel guides 35 as shown in Figure 1a (wherealternate threads are directed by godets 35 and 31 to the opposite rowof buckets) or they proceed (as illustrated in Figl) to any suitableform of drying means such as the heated casing 38 in which therespective thread is advanced in the form of a helix about two canteddrums 39 and 49, at least one of which is driven, and then to acollecting device, such as the winding machine il. "If desired, thewinding machine may be replaced by a cap-twisting or ring-twistingdevice.

As shown in the drawing, the path for coagulating the filaments orthreads is preferably narrow and this is necessary in order that anoperator standing at the coagulating bath working face of the machinecan readily reach over the bath to pass the threads through thestretching troughs l5 and place them on the receiving ends of the reel52. As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the connections to supply thespinnerets 5 with spinning material extend through apertures 32 in theoutside wall .3 of the trough 5 for the coagulating bath. A bearing M ofsuitable material, preferably resistant to corrosion by the coagulat ingmaterial is secured in the aperture; such as by welding, so that itsaxis is inclined in a horizontal plane at a small acute angle,preferably less than 25, to the normal to the length of the machine. Therounder d5 preferably is made of a corrosion-resistant material, such asstainless steel tubing or piping, and has an approximately right anglebend at 6-6 spaced a short distance from the wall 5-3 of the coagulatingbath trough. The portion of the rounder extending through the wall 43 isprovided with a shoulder 41 and is clamped within a sleeve 48 (which isrotatable wthin the bearing Ml) by the nut 69 engaging a threadedportion of the rounder. A handwheel 59 positioned outside the trough 5is fixed upon the sleeve so that it can be used to rotate the rounderand thus swing the spinneret into and out of the trough. A washer 55 ofresilient material, such as soft rubber or synthetic rubber, is providedso that it is forced by hydraulic pressure against a suitable seat orface 52 formed on the bearing M, thereby sealing the joint againstleakage. A hollow region 53 may be formed in the bearing member 44 andmay be provided with a suitable drainage connection 530'. (Figure 1).The sleeve :8 may be provided with grooves 54 to prevent any liquidleaking from the bath from proceeding beyond the region 53 provided withsuitable drainage. An L connection 55 connects the tube 56 whichreceives the spinning material from the pump 5? to the rounder, a balland socket joint being provided at 58 to permit rotation of the rounder45 relative to the L 55. A spring pressed pin 59 mounted in the bracketmaintains the L 55 firmly in engagement with he rounded end of rounder45.

The rounder 35 has a long straight portion extending from the bend 6%which merges at 45a with a portion which curves back so that thespinneret 6 at the end of the rounder directs the filaments or threadproduced thereby in an upward direction. lhis curved portion is bent at45c so that it lies in a plane approximately parallel to the wall @3 ofthe trough when dis posed in spinning position. It will be seen fromFigure that when the rounder is swung into inoperative position, thespinneret is directed downwardly over the waste or draining trough 5!which be provided with removable waste trays 62. Preferably, the widthof the inner web of the bracket is so correlated with the disposition ofthe spokes 53d of the handwheel that the upper and lower edges of theweb 53 serve as detents to limit the rotation of the hand wheel todispose the spinneret operating position and in inoperative positionover the waste trough It will be seen from Figure 4 that the roundersare so constructed and arranged as to permit immersion of the spinneretto a great depth, swinging the spinnert to a point near bath surface forlacing up the machine and swinging the spinneret to a point over thewaste trough, without interfering with each other and the walls of thetrough in spite oi its narrowness and depth. In Figure the dotted lineab shows the extreme limit of movement of the rounder away from the wallof trough 5.

In starting the sp nning operation, the operator turns the handwheeluntil the sp'lnneret is at or near the surface of coagulating bath,threads up the thread-handling device l and as the thread is taken upthereby be lowers the spinneret to the bottom of the trough 5, and thentakes the thread from the device '5 through one of the stretch oaths tothe corres onding reel it. An operator on the other working face of themachine takes the thread as it is discharged from the reel E2 and dropsit to the fiOOl below where another operator receives it laces upwhatever collecting and/or drying devices are there. There is nonecessity for the operators to carefully synchronize their activities inthat each section of the machine can continue to function while waitingfor the operator in the next section in advance to send the thread onits way to the next section.

A screen 66 and a plate 5; separate the bath trough 5 from the drainingtrough =3 l. The plate is adjustably mounted so that the depth of thecoagulating bath may be controlled readily.

It is to be understood that changes and variations ma be made Withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by thefollowing claims.

I claim:

1. A method of producing artificial thread comprising the steps ofspinning the thread generally vertically upwardly through a coagulatingmedium, passing the thread through a generally helical path outside themedium while permitting further coagulation by me carried thereby, thenpassing the thread approximately horizontally through a plasticizingmedium, stretching the thread during its horizontal travel, then passingthe thread through a single continuous helical path, and subjecting thethread in succeeding zones of the helix to each of a plurality oftreating liquids.

2. A method of producing artificial thread comprising the steps ofspinning the thread generilly vertically upwardly through a coagulatingmedium, passing the thread through a generally helical path outside themedium while permitting further coagulation by medium carried thereby,then passing the thread approximately horizontally through aplasticizing medium, stretching the thread during its horizontal travel,then passing the thread through a single continuous helical path,subjecting the thread in succeeding zones of the helix to of a pluralityof treating liquids, completing all. liquid treatments as the threadpasses through the continuous helical path, and collecting the thread.

3. A method of producing arvificial thread comprising the steps ofspinning the thread gen.- erally vertically upwardly through acoagulating medium, passing the thread through a generally helical pathoutside the medium while permitting further coagulation by mediumcarried thereby, then passing the approximately horizontally through aplasticizing medium, stretch-- the thread during its horizontal travel,then passing the thread through a single continuous helical path.completing all liquid treatments the thread passes through thecontinuous helical path, passing the thread through a third helicalpath, drying it as passes therethrough,

collecting the thread.

i A method of producing artificial thread comng the steps of spinningthe thread generally vertically upwardly through a coagulating medium,passing the thread through. a generally helical path outside the mediumwhile permitting coagulation by medium carried thereby, hen passing thethread approximately horizonally through a plasticizing medium,stretching the thread during horizontal travel, then passing the threadthrough a single continuous helical path disposed at about the samelevel as the first helical path, subjecting the thread in succeedingzones of the helix to each of a plurality of treating liquids,completing ail liquid treatments as the thread passes through thecontinuous helical path, and collecting the thread.

Amethod of producing artificial thread comprising the steps of spinningthe thread generally vertically upwardly through a coagulating medium,passing the thread through a generally helical path outside the mediumwhile permitting further coagulation by medium carried thereby, thenpassing the thread approximately horizontally through a plasticizingmedium, stretching the thread during its horizontal travel, then passingthe thread through a single continuous helical path disposed at aboutthe same level as the first helical path, subjecting the thread insucceeding zones of the helix to each of a plurality of treatingliquids, completing all liquid treatments as the thread passes throughthe continuous helical path, and collecting the thread at a lower levelsubstantially directly below the discharge end of the continuous helicalpath.

RICHARD W. STANLEY.

No references cited.

1. A METHOD OF PRODUCING ARTIFICIAL THREAD COMPRISING THE STEPS OFSPINNING THE THREAD GENERALLY VERTICALLY UPWARDLY THROUGH A COAGULATINGMEDIUM, PASSING THE THREAD THROUGH A GENERALLY HELICAL PATH OUTSIDE THEMEDIUM WHILE PERMITTNG FURTHER COAGULATION BY MEDIUM CARRIED THEREBY,THEN PASSING THE THREAD APPROXIMATLEY HORIZONTALLY THROUGH APLASTICIZING MEDIUM, STRETCHING THE THREAD DURING ITS HORIZONTAL TRAVEL,THEN PASSING THE THREAD THROUGH A SINGLE CONTINUOUS HELICAL PATH, ANDSUBJECT THE THREAD IN SUCCEEDING ZONES OF THE HELIX TO EACH OF APLURALITY OF TREATING LIQUIDS.